F1 Fanatic

This is my Abu Dhabi:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4418014
Just tried to get rid of the ridiculous f***ing chicanes and straighten and smooth everything out a bit.
Speaking of Istanbul I’d do this:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4417957
3,4,5 and 6 are desperately boring and one fast left hander would be a worthy replacement, and moving 7 further back is purely to extend the run into turn 8.

@Ned – I thought about changing the turns at the end of the lap at Istanbul too, but they do actually produce some very good racing, particularly on the switchback into the next two turns…

For Abu Dhabi I’d try to open up turn’s 7 and 9. This might mean moving turn 7 further away from the stand to create the space thus that will allow a quicker run into the corner because there will be more run off. For both I’d make them slow speed corners with an early apex and a large radius exit with a small banking allowing the driver to just get on the throttle and stay on the throttle, meaning for a shorter transitional period to get on full throttle, so pretty much creating a parabola. It will stop the domino effect of the cars so the following car can get a better run round the corner and stay closer. Would use the same principle for turn 9, so drivers get a better run into turn 10.
Turkey I think the last turn needs opening up so cars get a better run into turn 1, keep the left-right but then open up the last left in the sequence, means the drivers will still be able to fight and then re-fight back. Turn 9 is too slow aswell, needs to be abit quicker, so the cars don’t spread out onto the straight.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90938

Yeh I read that article last year. It’s interesting, a couple of weeks ago I had an interview for my dissertation with Clive Bowen from Apex Circuit Design (he sits on the OWG) and during it we discussed all the principles they try to implement when constructing a circuit. We discussed Yas Marina and I mentioned that article about how Populous would re-design the track.

The original problem would still remain with original turn 7 unless the apex and corner banking is changed sufficiently enough to allow the cars to have a sort transitional period on the throttle after the apex. Turn 9 is the same so the run to turn 10 wouldn’t be able to produce overtakes still, although the change in track width would allow for a change in racing lines and possible dives from drivers. But because the new turn 10 will be a tight slow corner the cars would spread on acceleration through the new bit.

The most effective change would be the proposed new turn 5 and this would produce overtaking because the preceding corners are fast flowing corners which allow following cars to get closer, also because they aren’t taken at top speed the aero effect wont be at it’s strongest so cars get get closer than they would normally be able to if aero effect was in full flow. It does also come back to PM’s point of making it a reverse Eau Rouge which would be very challenging for the drivers and cause possible mistakes.

http://img651.imageshack.us/i/abudhabi.jpg/

I posted this yesterday but it hasn’t appeared so: here’s my ‘improved’ Populous design.

Description:
Start at same place, and follow the 1st Populous alteration at the first hairpin.

Drivers will then speed down the longest straight, and take the second hairpin before going under a new bridge wide radius corner.

This brings the cars onto the old Hotel complex, they will drive the opposite dircetion under the hotel, and round the hairpin at Populous alteration 2.

Drivers will charge up the slighty ‘curved’ straight and over the new bridge corner, a slight kink based on the famouse Japanese 130R corner.

A final slow right hander before arriving back at the pit straight.

The idea to add a bridge is good, even better would be adding a roundabout.